2017 Ford F-250 SuperDuty: Where capability meets luxury

I’ve only recently started adding pickup trucks into my test schedule, and I’m still hitting the learning curve. But as a guest host on the Pickup Truck + SUV Talk podcast, I learned how limited my scope was by only testing more compact vehicles.

Sure, I’m probably never going to have the opportunity to use a truck to haul a boat or purchase construction supplies. But there are plenty of people out there who buy a truck just because they like trucks.

So, when the 2017 Ford F-250 SuperDuty Platinum trim pickup truck showed up in my alley, I decided to treat it like any other vehicle and have a little fun with the Ciminillo-to-F250 ratio. The taillight is bigger than my head, for example.

Ride & Handling

The test truck was a crew cab model equipped with a 6.7-liter, V-8 turbodiesel engine. It delivers 440 horsepower and a whopping 925 pound-feet of torque.

For those looking at capability, that translates into a 12,900-pound towing capacity from a 6,052 pound vehicle. For those who are just looking to drive, it means never having to worry about accelerating out of a stoplight, merging with traffic or making a pass at 70 mph on the highway.

I was really impressed with the seamless power the F-250 had to offer, and it was quite easy to forget I was driving a humongous truck.

The diesel engine was loud, for sure, but the truck’s construction dampened the noise inside the cabin.

I was consistently impressed with how smooth the ride was over potholes and rough pavement, and with an excellent turning radius, I was able to maneuver the tight city corners. I did steer clear of the narrower city streets during the test period, and even so, a few of my passengers nervously eyed the parked cars we passed.

However, with the excellent visibility out all windows and the high ride height, the F-250 gives the driver a nice view of the road and kept me clear of all those parked cars.

Forget the burrito as big as your head and check out this taillight! #fordf250superduty #cardujour A post shared by jill ciminillo (@jillciminillo) on Jul 18, 2017 at 1:13pm PDTBecause the F-250 is one of those vehicles of a certain size, it’s not required to be tested by the EPA for fuel economy. So there are no “estimated” numbers that you should get.

Fuelly.com does have data based on eight vehicles, 134 fuel ups and 42,551 miles of driving, and it reports an average fuel economy of 14.68 mpg.

My numbers weren’t too far off of that average. I’d say most of my driving was in the city with lots of stop and go at lights and stop signs with a little bit of highway driving thrown in. I averaged 13.9 mpg.

Interior Appointments

Because I’m relatively new to the pickup truck world, I have a hard time commenting on exterior styling. It’s a pickup truck, and well, it looks like a pickup truck. Oh, and in case you missed it, the taillights are bigger than my head.

The interior is where this truck shines. Keep in mind this is a Platinum trim, but if someone had blindfolded me and plopped me into the driver’s seat without badging or reference, I’d have thought this was a luxury SUV rather than a very work-capable pickup truck.

The test vehicle was equipped with the chocolate-colored “Brunello” interior, which was gorgeously stitched, and the seats were super comfortable.

Particular faves included the heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, real power jacks to plug in a laptop or powertool in the front and rear of the vehicle, two USB ports up front and rear legroom that would accommodate three larger-than-average adults.

All of the gauges and controls were easy to read and easy to reach – even for this petite driver. I didn’t find myself stretching or twisting at odd angles to access anything in the front row.

Something else to note: The center console is big enough to fit a couple laptops or a large purse.

Last words

While driving pickup trucks is clearly not my forte – yet – I was very impressed with the 2017 Ford F-250. The power running boards (standard at the Platinum trim) made it easy for me and my passengers to get in and out of the vehicle, and the ride and handling were more akin to a full-sized SUV than a commercial-grade pickup truck.

The interior appointments were lux-level all the way, which I would totally expect from a vehicle that costs more than $70K. I didn’t receive a sticker sheet with the test vehicle, but when I spec’d out the Platinum trim with a short wheel base and diesel engine (plus options such as the bed liner spray in, gooseneck hitch prep and adaptive cruise control), the as-tested price was $73,225.

While the F-250 is clearly a truck meant to haul, it’s nice to know that it has some road manners. So, you can work it all day and then still go out on the town and find a level of comfort that you’d expect from a luxury vehicle.

Since Mercedes-Benz just launched a luxury pickup truck in Europe, and Ram is coming out with the hyper-luxury Tungsten model, there is clearly a market for a truck that is both capable and luxurious.

If you’re looking for something that can tow your horse trailer and provide all the amenities you – and your family – could possible want, the F-250 should be on your must-test list.